- Mar 24, 2012
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to hunt Blacktails. Where would he go? DIY, on a budget. I'd like to experience the Pacific northwest and can't imagine not hunting deer to do it. Kind of a "must do" thing deer hunters dream of.
If a feller wanted.......
- Thread starter ThreeTikkas
- Start date
Slugz
Veteran member
Might not be the best option.......but I did it mainly based on not knowing much at the time. I was living in Lemoore Ca and the boy and I went up to the Mt Shasta region in CA. It was a general tag that allowed us to hunt west of the interstate pretty much due west of Shasta. It was crazy beautiful. We hiked up pretty high and glassed bowls for a few days then went north a mile or two, off the beaten path and access points. Saw animals one huge one in the manzanitas. Lots of mountain quail also. I had a blast and if I recall it was affordable if not very cheap....although I claimed resident due to being military stationed there.
Buddy of mine took a nice 3x3 middle age group. I'll do it again someday as the region seemed awesome. Although I was slightly discouraged when I saw the area on the National Geographic channel I think. They were busting marijuana farms in the woods up that way.
Buddy of mine took a nice 3x3 middle age group. I'll do it again someday as the region seemed awesome. Although I was slightly discouraged when I saw the area on the National Geographic channel I think. They were busting marijuana farms in the woods up that way.
ore hunter
Very Active Member
- Jul 25, 2014
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Oregon otc tags available whenever in the fall,,plenty of places to go,,southern Oregon might be a little better than northern,"welcome to the coastal jungle".it can be pretty thick
- Mar 24, 2012
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OTC tags sounds about right. I like that. "Coastal jungle." Now if that ain't intriguing I don't know what is!
- Mar 24, 2012
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What weapon (s) suit your fancy? Do you happen to be an experienced Whitetail hunter? Tree stand compatable? Do you have any deer points in OR, 100 or 600 series?
I'm only familiar with OR, but can suggest some very good SW OR units to look at based on how you like to hunt.
I'm only familiar with OR, but can suggest some very good SW OR units to look at based on how you like to hunt.
gonhunting247
Veteran member
- Jan 21, 2014
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Come to OR and hunt with your Bow or get an OTC buck tag. It can be frustrating, but it is addictive also!
- Mar 24, 2012
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I'm a whitetail hunter of 42 years experience. Not too excited about tree stands. Even when I was hard into the bow hunting I did it from the ground. Killed my share of bucks too. Fluent in rifles and the taking of game with them.
Unfortunately,no preference points for Oregon. I've always wanted to see the country up that way. Deer hunting seems like a hell of a good reason to. When I was a lad in high school, I thought I'd head out to Washington or Oregon and make my fortune in forestry. Live in a small town and spend my off time hunting and fishing. Well,such are the dreams of our youth eh?
Unfortunately,no preference points for Oregon. I've always wanted to see the country up that way. Deer hunting seems like a hell of a good reason to. When I was a lad in high school, I thought I'd head out to Washington or Oregon and make my fortune in forestry. Live in a small town and spend my off time hunting and fishing. Well,such are the dreams of our youth eh?
gonhunting247
Veteran member
- Jan 21, 2014
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ThreeTikkas;When I was a lad in high school said:I had some of those same dreams, and they worked out; well, all except the fortune part.
On a serious note though, there are tons of OTC and easy to draw tags all over the western part of OR. It's a little overwhelming, figuring out where to start, but the opportunity to get out and hunt is really good. Stepping it up to taking mature animals is whole different level, but with all your experience it will probably come pretty fast! I say come on out and give it a go if you have the chance. Feel free to ask if there are any specific questions I can help you with.
- Mar 24, 2012
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I'm no expert on them, but I have learned a bit about them. Suspect several here can be of more use. But here is some OR specific info I believe to be accurate.
There are general western OR rifle seasons that run thru 11/4, usually later is better. They are worth a look. It is nice to have the leaves off the trees and some rain. General bow seasons mid-Nov thru early Dec. are worth a hard look too. Sixes, Evans Creek, Rogue, are part of the late bow hunt. If you can stick to SW OR and away from the coast, you can find some less thick country. In or close to Josephine/Jackson County has some of the best opportunities for Blacktail. They can be very migratory in some places, often migrating in Oct without noticeable weather.
You'd be well served to seek out an area where you have public access at various elevations, plenty of it there. The biologists ought to be familiar with the migrations, there was a study a while back, used trail cameras as I recall. So they should be of help in deciding when and where to go. They may direct you to a non-migratory herd, who knows. They are at least as secretive as a whitetail, so your experience will serve you well. If you can find a burn or recent logging or good feed adjacent to thick cover with signs of activity, you are on the right path IMO. They use trails quite a bit in the thick stuff. Dig out some of the success data, last I looked, 2013 or so, some were in the 25-35% range, even some of the bow hunts, which is quite good for BT. Possibility of more open terrain and vg genetics are a couple reasons I'd focus SW if OR is where you head.
You can find similar opportunities a bit north, towards Roseburg, but I thinks it has less public than further south. Plenty of other places too, but this is one area I know that can be very good. Good luck on your visit to OR and I hope you bag a big one.
There are general western OR rifle seasons that run thru 11/4, usually later is better. They are worth a look. It is nice to have the leaves off the trees and some rain. General bow seasons mid-Nov thru early Dec. are worth a hard look too. Sixes, Evans Creek, Rogue, are part of the late bow hunt. If you can stick to SW OR and away from the coast, you can find some less thick country. In or close to Josephine/Jackson County has some of the best opportunities for Blacktail. They can be very migratory in some places, often migrating in Oct without noticeable weather.
You'd be well served to seek out an area where you have public access at various elevations, plenty of it there. The biologists ought to be familiar with the migrations, there was a study a while back, used trail cameras as I recall. So they should be of help in deciding when and where to go. They may direct you to a non-migratory herd, who knows. They are at least as secretive as a whitetail, so your experience will serve you well. If you can find a burn or recent logging or good feed adjacent to thick cover with signs of activity, you are on the right path IMO. They use trails quite a bit in the thick stuff. Dig out some of the success data, last I looked, 2013 or so, some were in the 25-35% range, even some of the bow hunts, which is quite good for BT. Possibility of more open terrain and vg genetics are a couple reasons I'd focus SW if OR is where you head.
You can find similar opportunities a bit north, towards Roseburg, but I thinks it has less public than further south. Plenty of other places too, but this is one area I know that can be very good. Good luck on your visit to OR and I hope you bag a big one.
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- Mar 24, 2012
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Hey thanks for the info. Very helpful stuff,as I'm pretty clueless regarding Oregon hunting. I'm wondering about travel in that part of the country. Do you figure I could fly out and rent a 4 X 4 ,or should I drive out? Complete with chains, jacks, cribbing, winch. Just trying g to get a feel for the conditions.
What do blacktail consider good feed? Is it new growth and browse,or is there a mast crop they key in on? Pretty easy here. Between the thick stuff and the agriculture fields is the place to be. Early and late are the best bets. Unless the rut is in full swing. Do blacktail have rub and scrape lines like our whitetail?
What do blacktail consider good feed? Is it new growth and browse,or is there a mast crop they key in on? Pretty easy here. Between the thick stuff and the agriculture fields is the place to be. Early and late are the best bets. Unless the rut is in full swing. Do blacktail have rub and scrape lines like our whitetail?
You could either fly or drive. A 4x4 is a real good idea, I'd have one. If you rent one, you can go to a local LesSchwabs, buy chains and get a refund if unused I believe. But most of the time you won't need chains, but one never knows. An early snow storm is possible. Depending on where you end up, early or down low near the valley floor or coastal for example, the need for chains would be almost zero for snow. But if up higher later, assuming the deer did not migrate down, I'd have some from mid-Nov on. It is usually wet, cold and miserable, more than cold and snowy. A 38 degree wet day with some wind is colder to me than a crisp 25 degree snowy day.
BT's will eat the same feed any deer would as far as I know, browse, mast, forbes, new growth, even seen them nibble some mushrooms, etc., why clearings and edges are good, as are oak groves. They love apples too. Where I hunted, scrapes and rubs were common around the rut, rattling will work at the right time too. I am not certain they work the scrape lines like a WT or not. But they do make them. What I'd suggest, besides the visit with a bio or two, is google some Blacktail hunting books, authors like Haugen, Lewis, Terkla and Higley are some I might suggest. Pick a couple and it should help a bunch. Be a small added expense for such a long trip, but well worth it in my view.
Myself, unless I have scouted out a hot feed source where BT are absolutely undisturbed, I found early seasons very tough. Others may disagree, and may have figured them out then, but I never did very well early, unless on private with the feed source. BT seem more nocturnal than any deer I've ever hunted and are very difficult to stalk bedded because it is so thick. But I've stalked some bedded in the early season, more accurately, snail slow crept into bedding areas and jumped them mostly. I have had them let me walk with in 5' while bedded and hidden, only seeing him when he jumped up. Usually I just hear them bounce away and never see them in the thick stuff. I'd favor late season in the less thick country SW myself, spot and stalk where possible near burns/clear cuts, watch trails and feed sources too. A ground blind may be of value.
Be a great adventure regardless of where you choose to chase them.
BT's will eat the same feed any deer would as far as I know, browse, mast, forbes, new growth, even seen them nibble some mushrooms, etc., why clearings and edges are good, as are oak groves. They love apples too. Where I hunted, scrapes and rubs were common around the rut, rattling will work at the right time too. I am not certain they work the scrape lines like a WT or not. But they do make them. What I'd suggest, besides the visit with a bio or two, is google some Blacktail hunting books, authors like Haugen, Lewis, Terkla and Higley are some I might suggest. Pick a couple and it should help a bunch. Be a small added expense for such a long trip, but well worth it in my view.
Myself, unless I have scouted out a hot feed source where BT are absolutely undisturbed, I found early seasons very tough. Others may disagree, and may have figured them out then, but I never did very well early, unless on private with the feed source. BT seem more nocturnal than any deer I've ever hunted and are very difficult to stalk bedded because it is so thick. But I've stalked some bedded in the early season, more accurately, snail slow crept into bedding areas and jumped them mostly. I have had them let me walk with in 5' while bedded and hidden, only seeing him when he jumped up. Usually I just hear them bounce away and never see them in the thick stuff. I'd favor late season in the less thick country SW myself, spot and stalk where possible near burns/clear cuts, watch trails and feed sources too. A ground blind may be of value.
Be a great adventure regardless of where you choose to chase them.
- Mar 24, 2012
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Hey Tim. I've got a copy of Terkla's book coming. Time to do some research too. Thanks for all the help!
You are welcome. Hope you get a nice one. I suspect much of what I like about SW OR, is also present in places in NW CA, and some areas of the OR/WA Cascades and some Coastal areas. A guy would just have to look. The Cascades deer on the west slope may not be full BT, they can have some MD in them, a few different markings, we call them benchlegs. WA has them too. There are more great easy draw/general season opportunities with favorable dates for BT than the other 3 deer species in OR. It's opportunity rich, may be the same elsewhere too.
I should have added earlier, my comparisons to WT are only based on reasonably open country WT in WA/OR/MT/SD, a challenge, but may not be representative of typical WT hunting elsewhere. Never tried the more Midwestern or heavy cover WT, so you may be further ahead on the BT learning curve than you realize. I just have a suspicion a number of normal WT tactics will be good on BT.
I should have added earlier, my comparisons to WT are only based on reasonably open country WT in WA/OR/MT/SD, a challenge, but may not be representative of typical WT hunting elsewhere. Never tried the more Midwestern or heavy cover WT, so you may be further ahead on the BT learning curve than you realize. I just have a suspicion a number of normal WT tactics will be good on BT.
Arrowslinger
Member
California has easily accessible backcountry options and there's some great potential for an exceptional buck.
- Mar 24, 2012
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gonhunting247
Veteran member
- Jan 21, 2014
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Most places are accessible with a 4x4. Chains are good to have, but aren't a must if a guy uses his head.
Be prepared for wet and cold late, wet and not as cold early. Wet weather is good in my book. If it's dry it is a whole lot tougher to get on deer, due to the noise and the way they become nocturnal when it's warm.
Food sources vary with the season, with browse in the clear cuts and mast crops being good choices during the right time of year. Blacktails do use rub and scrape lines, but they don't seem to be quite as dependable as how folks say Whitetail are.
Most of this kind of reiterates what Tim wrote in the earlier post, but thought it would be interesting since most of my hunting comes from the opposite corner in the NE edge of BT range. Again, if you have specific questions feel free to shoot me a message or contact me for a phone#.
Sheesh after seeing those bucks Arrowslinger posted, I think I better head for CA!
Be prepared for wet and cold late, wet and not as cold early. Wet weather is good in my book. If it's dry it is a whole lot tougher to get on deer, due to the noise and the way they become nocturnal when it's warm.
Food sources vary with the season, with browse in the clear cuts and mast crops being good choices during the right time of year. Blacktails do use rub and scrape lines, but they don't seem to be quite as dependable as how folks say Whitetail are.
Most of this kind of reiterates what Tim wrote in the earlier post, but thought it would be interesting since most of my hunting comes from the opposite corner in the NE edge of BT range. Again, if you have specific questions feel free to shoot me a message or contact me for a phone#.
Sheesh after seeing those bucks Arrowslinger posted, I think I better head for CA!
Those are some whopper BT's Arrowslinger. I like the look of the country in the first pic, open enough a guy can actually see one before you step on him.
Gonhunting247, most of my early BT hunts were in Marion/Linn/Clackamas counties, possibly close to your hunts. Had a few coast trips in Lincoln/Tillamook counties mixed in. Did a couple hunts later in SW, liked the terrain better and the bucks were quite a bit bigger. Many folks say the N Cal bucks are the biggest, based on those pictures, count me a believer. Some pretty good ones come out of SW OR too.
Gonhunting247, most of my early BT hunts were in Marion/Linn/Clackamas counties, possibly close to your hunts. Had a few coast trips in Lincoln/Tillamook counties mixed in. Did a couple hunts later in SW, liked the terrain better and the bucks were quite a bit bigger. Many folks say the N Cal bucks are the biggest, based on those pictures, count me a believer. Some pretty good ones come out of SW OR too.
Arrowslinger
Member
Anyone that can pull a decent blacktail out of SW OR has my respect, I've spring bear hunted it enough (Powers/Sixes) to hate that terrain.